Car bumper



Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES FRANK A. KELL, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CAR BUMPER.

Application led October 29, 1923. Serial No, 671,447.

To all whom t ma@ concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK A. KELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Car Bumpers, of which the following is a specification, reference being made tothe accoi'npanying drawin forming a part thereof.

his invention relates generally to railway-track equipment and, more particularly, to a certain new and useful improvement in that type of equipment commonly knov'vi as l' car-bumpers.

My present invention has for its chief object the provision of a car-bumper in the form preferably of aV single integral strucL ture that may be readily, inexpensively, and conveniently operatively installed upon and in connection with the track-way, and which, when installed upon the track, pro= vides an efficient obstruction for effectively impeding further progress or travel of the car or cars.

With the above and other objects in view, my present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter described and afterwards pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sec- 4 tion of a railway track equipped with a carbumper constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through a pair of the bumpers as in operatively installed position on the track.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, the bumper A as an entirety is in the form preferably, as shown and as before stated, of a single integral structure, whether r casting or the like, having the nished shape or contour best seen in .Figure l.

As so constructed, the bumper A comprises a flat base wall l, which is adapted in use for horizontal disposition relatively to and under the rail B, the bumper A at its base-wall 1` having a lateral width some-- what greater than the width of the base 2 of the standard rail B and having a length longitudinally to fully span and rest upon two adjacent ties or sleepers C, as seen in Figure l.

Rising integrally from wall l to one side of its lateral center, as best seen in Figure 2, and extending longitudinally throughout its length, as best seen in Figure l, is a so,- called connecting wall 3, which for the most part upwardly extends obliquely inwardly over wall l and at its upper end portion is continued horizontally inwardly over and relatively to wall l to provide a top wall 4, for purposes shortly appearing', wall 3 being of sufficient height to space top wall 4 vertically from Vbase wall l to provide what might be described as an open side pocket for lengthwise accommodatingthe rail B.

Disposed vertically relatively to and longitudinally within the vertical plane of base wall 1 and extending upwardly from the inner end of' top wall 4 is a` wall 5. This wall 5 is of sufficient height to provide an abutment for engagement by the VVstandard car-wheel D rolling ontrack B and from the opposite longitudinalends of wall 4; is preferably'cut away inwardly and upwardly on a radius conforming approximately to the radius of the wheel D and thereby corre spondingly arcuated as at 6 6, upon its opposite end faces, the bumper A being of greatest altitude at the longitudinal center of wall 5.

Preferably also, as best seen in Figure 2, the wall 3,` at its union with base wall l, is slightly recessed, as at 7, to accommodate the outer side edge of the Vbase 2 of rail B. y

In use and operation, the bumper' A is fitted at the desired location relatively to the track-way with its basefwall l dispos-ed beneath the rail B and upon and lengthwise spanning adjoining ties C, the bumper at its top wall extending over and; substantially seating upon the ball or tread-portion 8 ofV r the rail. In such manner, the bumper A embraces `and rmly rests upon the rail at its described open-sidepocket, and I might state here that, while not shown, the rail may be suitably shimmed, if necessary so that the bumper firmly grips the rail both at its base 2 by wall 1 and at its ball or trea-d 8 by the wall 4, the bumper A being rigidly fixed in such position by means of a set of spikes 9 driven into the ties D along the outer edge of the bumper and by a second set of spikes l0 driven into the ties D through Suitable apertures provided for the purpose upon the inner portion of the base wall l. It may be observed that the spikeapertures may be provided in base-wall 1 at such desired locations to also firmly grip the rail at its base 2, the rail at the outer edge oi' its base 2 litti'ng in the recess` 7 and being firmly held by the wall 3. The rail B and bumper A are thereby rigidly spiked and held to the ties C.V Thus the bumper is adapted for installation upon and inconnection with rails having bases of -varying width, and as so installed, the wall 5 projects upwardly in the vertical plane of the rail and in the path of wheels I) rolling thereupon.

The bumpers A are adapted to be employed 0r installed in pairs transversely alined across the track, `and when installed asdescribed provide a most eiiicient obstruc- Y tion impeding further progress or travell of the car or cars, the oppositearc-shaped end faces 6 of the bumpers extending or lying in the vertical planes oi the rails and the bumpers being of a height to receive the impact or shock from the lower rear quadrants of the wheels and prevent or hold the car from rolling over the bumpers.

rIhe bumpers A, being similar in form and construction, may be made from one pattern, there being no rights or lefts and being interchangeable and reversible to meet the requirements of any installation. My new bumper may be manufactured and produced at low cost and, as will be evident, may be readily and conveniently installed at little expense. I may add that notk only is the cost of maintenance of the bumper practically nominal, but by the use and employment of my bumper, the expense and annoyance of frequent replacements of bent rails, wooden blocks, and other more or less expensive parts, now generally necessitated, so far as I am aware, with other bumpers, is substantially entirely done away with.

It is to be understood that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my bumper may be made and substituted for those herein shown and1described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. A car-bumper including an upright wheel-abutment wall adapted to extend vertically in substantially the plane of the ball of the rail and a base-wall integrally ljoined to the upright wall and adapted for disposition under and beneath the rail.

2. A car-bumper including rigidly connected spaced walls adapted :tor embracing the rail under its base and over its ball, and

ball of the rail.

a. wheel-abutment extending upwardly from said walls in substantially the vertical plane of the ball of the rail.

3. A car-bumper comprising a basewall, atop wall, a side wall rigidly connecting the top and base Walls, said base, top and side walls forming substantially a pocket for embracing the rail under its base and over its ball, and a rigid upright wheel-abutment wall adapted to extend vertically from the top wall substantially inthe plane of the 4. A car-bumper comprising as an integral structure a base-wall, for ,disposition under and beneath the base of the rail, a top wall adapted for disposition over the tread of the rail, a side wall connecting the top and base walls, and an upright wall adapted to extend vertically substantially in vthe plane of the rail.y f i 5. A car-bumper including a flat basewall, a top wall spaced from and extending approximately parallel with-the base-Wall,

an obliquely side wall rigidly connecting the base and top Walls, the bumper being adapted to tit upon the rail with its basewall disposed under the rail and its top wall disposed over the ball of the rail, and a wheel-abutment extending upwardly from the top wall.

6. A carebumper including as an integral structure, a tlatbase-wall, a top 4Wallspaced 'from and extending approximately parallel with the base wall, an obliquely disposed side wall connecting the base and top walls, the bumper being kadapted to fit upon the rail with itsbase-wall 'disposed under the rail and its top wall disposed over the rail, and a wheel-abutment extending upwardly from the top wall.

7 A car-bumper including a flat base-wall, a top wall spaced from and extending approximately parallel with the base-wall, an obliquely disposed side wall rigidly connecting the base and top walls, the bumper being adapted to fit upon the rail with its basewall disposed under the rail and its top wall disposed over the ball of the rai-l and said side wall being recessed at its lower end to accommodate a side edge of the base of the rail, and a wheel-abutment Vextending upwardly from the `top wall.

8. A car-bumper includinga lat base wall, a top wall spaced from and extending approximately parallel with the base wall, an obliquely disposed side wall rigidly connecting the base and top walls, and a wheel- 9. A car-bumper including a Hat basewall, a top Wall spaced from and extending approximately parallel With the base-Wa11, an oblquely disposed side Wall rigidly connecting the base and top Walls, and a Wheelabntment extending upwardly from and in the Vertical plane of the top Wall, in conibination With a track-Way comprising a rail and ties, the rail being disposed lengthwise over said base-Wall with its ball underside Wall, a set; of securing spikes engaging 10 ony the base-Wall and ties, and a second set of securing spikes engaging the ties and both said baseWa11 and the base of the rail.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specifi cation.

FRANK A. KELL. 

